Chapter 145
What Happened After the Extra Five Selections
There was no intention to hide what Zhao Ma did from Shen Jin. Shen Jin knew it but did not stop her because she also knew that Zhao Ma did it for her own good. Shen Jin actually had no intention of arguing with Miss Yan. After all, in her opinion, it would be better to spend more time playing with the children than spending so much time like this.
Who knew that this incident would lead to a murder?
When the incident happened, Shen Jin had already returned to Prince Ning's Mansion and was entertaining the remaining girls. There were a lot of dishes, but everyone was eating separately. Each person had a small table in front of them. The food on each table was the same, and not all of them were Beijing dishes. There were simple, sweet and sour, spicy and sour... all kinds of flavors were available, mixed with the flavors that Chu Xiuyuan liked more. Shen Jin felt that the most important thing for a couple is to have a common taste. If one person likes light food and the other likes sweet and spicy food, although the two people can accommodate each other when eating, it will still be a bit less flavorful.
Moreover, Chu Xiuyuan was not a wasteful person. Even now that he had become the emperor, when they had meals together, they would only have six dishes and one soup, which was just a little more exquisite than that in Border Town.
Now they were separated to remember what the girls at each table had eaten, and to choose the ones that tasted closer to Chu Xiuyuan. After finishing the meal, Shen Jin originally invited everyone to sit in the garden for a while, but then Madam Zhao came over and whispered something in Shen Jin's ear. Shen Jin frowned and said, "I know."
Aunt Zhao didn't say anything else. Shen Jin looked at the girls who had been invited and said with a smile, "There's something going on outside. You guys can walk around the garden first. If you have anything to say, just tell the maids."
After talking for a few more words, Shen Jin took Nanny Zhao away first. Because of what happened today, Chu Xiuyuan was not at home, but had taken Chu Xiuyao and several children to the palace. So when the officials came, the people in the mansion could only come to find Shen Jin. Because they were already entertaining guests, Shen Jin did not need to change clothes again. When he went out, he saw a middle-aged man in official uniform with two people following him. They saluted when they saw Shen Jin.
After Shen Jin sat down, he asked someone to serve fruit and snacks, and then asked, "My lord, is there anything important? If so, I will send someone to deliver a message to my husband."
The middle-aged man quickly said, "It's nothing important. It's just a murder case, so I want to get to know the situation with my wife."
Shen Jin looked at the middle-aged man in confusion, and the middle-aged man quickly explained, "Miss Yan committed suicide?" Shen Jin looked at the middle-aged man in surprise.
"Yes." The middle-aged man said respectfully, "Miss Yan's brother took Miss Yan's suicide note and sued Madam Ningguo..."
"Ah?" Shen Jin was even more confused, "Why would she sue me if she committed suicide?"
The middle-aged man looked at Shen Jin and found that Shen Jin was not pretending to be confused, but really didn't understand. He explained, "It is said that a few days ago, Miss Yan asked to see Madam Ningguo."
"Yes." Shen Jin did not hide it and nodded. "There was this incident. She came to me alone and said that her grandmother wanted to marry her to a very bad man, and that man was her cousin's brother. She wanted the property left by Lord Yan. I thought it was not my business to intervene in this matter, so I asked her to file a complaint at the government office or the Dali Temple, and then sent someone to send her back."
Madam Zhao said, "The servants who escorted Miss Yan are now in the mansion. I will call them over right away."
The middle-aged man was able to make this trip, which showed that he was a straightforward person. Otherwise, he would not care about this matter at all because of Chu Xiuming's concern. So he said after hearing this, "That's troublesome."
Shen Jin said, "It's not a problem."
Madam Zhao went first. She not only asked people to bring the maid, but also the coachman and two guards. The two maids were the ones who sent Miss Yan. Madam Zhao told the story in detail. If Shen Jin's words just now made them suspect that Miss Yan was actually trying to plot for the position of the queen by changing her mind when she went to Madam Ningguo, Madam Zhao's words confirmed it in the hearts of several people. Miss Yan knelt down as soon as she came in, and kept asking Shen Jin to save her. Later, when it came to the issue of marriage, Madam Zhao said, "After all, this is our family's business. If Madam intervenes rashly, it would be inappropriate. Even so, Madam sent someone to send Miss Yan back to the mansion, and asked the coachman to drive slowly on the road, and sent someone else to inquire about the news. If it is really as Miss Yan said, let someone help secretly. You can't just watch a girl fall into the sea of fire."
The middle-aged man nodded and felt that this was appropriate. In fact, even if Shen Jin didn't care, no one could say anything. Such an arrangement was truly benevolent and righteous.
Madam Zhao continued, "The guards soon found out that Miss Yan's cousin's brother is not a talented person, but he is not bad. He is a scholar, his family is wealthy and he is honest and kind. You can find out from the academy. But there is one bad thing about this man. His grandfather was a businessman."
However, the middle-aged man felt that such a person was not much different from Miss Yan. Although Miss Yan was a daughter of an official family, both her parents had passed away. In such a situation, it was actually very difficult for a woman to find a good match. There are five reasons why a woman should not be married: a son from a rebellious family, a son from a chaotic family, a person who was punished for his crimes, a woman with a serious illness, and the eldest son of a widow.
If there was no such relationship, the man would not be willing to marry Miss Yan. After all, the man's own conditions were not bad, but what else was Miss Yan dissatisfied with? The middle-aged man sighed in his heart, thinking that he was too ambitious. He came to ask for help but it was fake. He was really going to the palace.
Zhao Ma Ma asked the guard to tell the whole story and the result in detail. After the middle-aged man nodded, she said, "I think Miss Yan's grandmother really loved Miss Yan. After I found out, I asked someone to talk to Miss Yan's grandmother. My wife has a good temper, so it's fine. If it was someone else, I'm afraid..." Zhao Ma Ma didn't finish her words, but everyone understood what she meant, and they all felt that what she said was right. "Then we didn't pay attention to it anymore. Who knew that we would learn about Miss Yan's death today."
The middle-aged man already believed it 80% in his heart, and he would know the remaining 20% after careful investigation. However, every word in Miss Yan's suicide note was a tearful allusion to Madam Ningguo, meaning that Madam Ningguo had insulted her, and she would eventually live in the world without face, unworthy of her strict father's teachings.
Shen Jin suddenly said, "Actually, I think Miss Yan might not have committed suicide."
"What?" The middle-aged man looked at Shen Jin in surprise, "Madam, do you know anything?"
Shen Jin shook his head and said, "I just think that if a person really feels uncomfortable or painful, it shouldn't take so many days to get over it. Even if they are angry, three or four days is enough to calm down. What's more... Miss Yan doesn't seem like someone who would commit suicide. Her goals are more ambitious." Shen Jin said it implicitly, but everyone understood, "And even if she hates me and commits suicide, it won't affect me."
The middle-aged man nodded. Even if Miss Yan committed suicide because of Shen Jin, at most the outside world would have a bad opinion of Shen Jin, and there would be no remaining harm, not even a bad opinion, because it was Miss Yan who came to the door herself, and she asked for the humiliation.
In addition, Chu Xiuming's power and His Majesty's regard for Lady Ningguo, even a fool would know that such a person should not be provoked.
"So I'm afraid that Miss Yan didn't commit suicide, and this matter would not be directed at me." Shen Jin said.
The middle-aged man nodded. Even if Miss Yan was really killed by Shen Jin, it would not have much impact on Shen Jin. Moreover, after saying this, he actually felt that Miss Yan’s death... seemed not simple.
After saying a few more words, the middle-aged man said goodbye. Shen Jin nodded, and Nanny Zhao helped her back to the small garden.
When Chu Xiuming came back in the afternoon, he heard about this matter from the servant. He nodded and asked someone to take the child downstairs to rest, and he personally sent Chu Xiuyao to the yard.
When Chu Xiuming returned to the house, he found Shen Jin reading a storybook. Shen Jin did not mention this matter, and Chu Xiuming did not ask either. He knew that just after five days, the middle-aged man specially sent someone to deliver the news. The cause of Miss Yan's death had been found out. She was indeed murdered, and it was not due to any deep hatred. The murderer was actually Miss Yan's personal maid. The maid was brought by Miss Yan from the Yan Mansion. She had always served very attentively and was also very beautiful. There were stewards in the mansion who wanted to marry her, but they were all rejected by Miss Yan, who only said that she would find a good match for the maid. The maid was waiting but it was getting more and more hopeless. Now she was twenty-three years old, and those stewards with some wealth were not willing to marry her at all. There were also rumors that she was picky.
She wanted to get married, and said many times that she would be willing to come back to serve Miss Yan after she got married, but Miss Yan refused because she felt that when a maid had her own husband and children, she would not serve her wholeheartedly.
Miss Yan had been holding a grudge for a long time, and this time she discovered that her maid was secretly meeting the son of a purchasing agent in the mansion. In a rage, she wanted to sell the maid and drive the purchasing agent's family out of the mansion. The maid was filled with hatred and finally took ruthless action. She then imitated Miss Yan's handwriting and wrote a suicide note like this.
After hearing this, Shen Jin just nodded. Miss Yan's death was a tragedy, but this ending was caused by herself, and that maid would probably not have a good ending either.
Nanny Zhao no longer mentioned the matter. Shen Jin and Chu Xiuming continued to discuss the candidate for the queen. In the end, Shen Jin chose two people. It was up to Chu Xiuyuan to decide which one to choose.
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